Three new Changing Places Toilets have been opened at Arboretum Park, Alvaston Park and Markeaton Park in Derby City.
Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member for Communities and Streetpride, which includes parks, officially opened the Markeaton Park facilities on Thursday 12th October with Ann Webster, Lead on Equality and Diversity for Derby City Council, Rob Malcom, Council Property Services, Chair of Parks Access Group, the Parks Team and partners.
These facilities have been built to Changing Places Toilets standards and will be featured on the Changing Places Toilets online map making them easy for residents and visitors to find.
Changing Places Toilets are spacious and have equipment including an accessible toilet bowl, shower, adjustable height wash basin, changing bench and a hoist, designed to support disabled people who need more than the standard accessible toilet can provide.
It has been recognised that over a 1/4 million people in the UK need Changing Places Toilets to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities which many of us take for granted. It is hoped that by providing these excellent facilities in the city’s parks, visitors can enjoy their day out knowing that there are toilets and changing facilities supporting their personal needs.
In the last decade, hundreds of Changing Places Toilets have been installed across the UK in shopping centres, airports, leisure centres and town centres. Derby already has Changing Places Toilets in the Council House, Museum of Making, Derbion Shopping Centre, Moorways Sports Village and at Derby Arena, and these three new locations increase opportunities for everyone to enjoy the city’s public open spaces.
Two more Changing Places Toilets will be installed in Derby in the near future: at the Bus Station in March 2024 and at the Market Hall in 2025.
The Changing Places toilets have been part-funded by a £200,000 grant from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, with the remainder of the funding being provided by Derby City Council. The Property Services Team have worked on the design and installation of these essential toilets in partnership with the Parks Access Group, Lead on Equality and Diversity and a local builder. This means the majority of the design work, labour, and materials used on the project have come from Derby and the East Midlands.
Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member for Communities and Streetpride, said: “These new Changing Places Toilets in our parks are a wonderful addition to Derby. They reflect our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that everyone can enjoy our beautiful parks and open spaces. It's a step towards a more accessible and inclusive city, and we're proud to have worked on this project with the support of the Government's Changing Places Toilet Fund.”
Ann Webster, Lead on Equality and Diversity for Derby City Council, said: "We know that for some disabled people the standard accessible toilet is not accessible for them and we have heard of disabled people even having to be changed on the toilet floor. We do not want this happening to disabled people in Derby and so this is why we have worked with our Access Hub and Parks Access Group to have more of these types of toilets in the city and particularly in our parks."
For opening hours and locations visit the Change Places Toilets web page.